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Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurance companies. These plans bundle Original Medicare Part A (hospital insurance), Part B (medical insurance), and usually Part D (drug coverage) as an alternative to Original Medicare options.
Click to review Medicare basics and see comparisons between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.
State of Delaware retirees currently have Original Medicare coverage for Parts A and B plus a Medigap supplement (Medicfill) and a separate Part D Prescription plan (SilverScripts).
The Medical Advantage (MA) plan proposed by the state gives the Medicare premiums that are deducted from our Social Security accounts to a private company, Highmark BCBS, which then manages Parts A, B, and D in place of the federal Medicare system.
The contract with Highmark BCBS proposed adding the Part D SilverScripts plan to their management package. This means that the state would no longer offer SilverScripts as a separate option to retirees.
RISE Delaware wants the State to keep the healthcare option promised to Medicare-eligible retirees in their pension contracts. This means retirees will continue to have Original Medicare Parts A and B and the State provides a Medigap supplement such as the current Medicfil plan that covers the retiree's remaining healthcare costs.